This file contains documents and a small amount of related correspondence regarding Merton's citizenship or legal residency in the United States, England and France; and forms related to permission to leave and re-enter the United States. Most of the documents are photocopies and were obtained by journalist Robert G. Grip, who performed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request for information.
If the person in correspondence with Merton has full text records in the Merton Center Digital Collections, there will be a numeric link to them below.
This Record Sub-Group is not divided into Series and is arranged chronologically.
Click icons for links: ✓="Published | Library Record", ✉="Scanned" | 🗷="Scanned, Viewable Only at Merton Center"
| # | Date | From/To | First Lines | Pub ✓ | Notes |
| | y/m/d | Merton | | Scan ✉ | |
| 1. |
1934/11/05 |
other[x] |
Extrait du Registre des Actes de Naissance [-] pour l'Année 1915 [-] Commune de Prades, Canton et |
|
[copy of Merton's birth certificate from France]
«detailed view» |
| 2. |
1937/10/28 |
other[x] |
U. S. DEPARTMENT OF LABOR [-] Immigration and Naturalization Service [-] No. 2 542072 |
|
[states Merton was lawfully admitted for permanent residency in the United States on 1934/12/11 / mentions the ship he arrived on, "SS Ansonia" (elsewhere "Ausonia")]
«detailed view» |
| 3. |
1938/no/no? |
other[x] |
STATEMENT OF FACTS TO BE USED IN MAKING MY DECLARATION OF INTENTION [-] My name is Mr. |
|
«detailed view» |
| 4. |
1940/03/30 |
other[x] |
APPLICATION FOR REENTRY PERMIT [-] To the Honorable Commissioner of Immigration and |
|
[application for Merton, not a citizen of the United States and residing there as alien, to re-enter the United States from his vacation to Cuba and Mexico]
«detailed view» |
| 5. |
1940/04/01 |
other[x] |
Permit to Reenter the United States [-] PURSUANT to provision of section 10 of the Immigration Act |
|
«detailed view» |
| 6. |
1942/03/12 |
TL[x] from Kahl, Arthur J. / to Merton |
Enclosed herewith are forms Nat. 101 and AR-16 for your information. It is requested that you |
|
[Arthur J. Kahl was Assistant District Director of the Buffalo District of the Immigration and Naturalization Service]
«detailed view» |
| 7. |
1942/03/21 |
other[x] |
ADDRESS REPORT CARD -- ALIEN REGISTRATION [-] (This card may be used for both types of reports |
|
[copies of two "change of address" forms: one from Douglaston, New York, to Olean, New York from 1941/06/24 - another from Olean, New York to Gethsemani of 1942/03/21]
«detailed view» |
| 8. |
1948/01/05 (#01) |
other[x] |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [-] DECLARATION OF INTENTION [-] (Invalid for all purposes seven |
|
«detailed view» |
| 9. |
1948/01/05 (#02) |
other[x] |
UNITED STATES OF AMERICA [-] PETITION FOR NATURALIZATION [-] [Under General Provisions |
|
«detailed view» |
| 10. |
1948/11/08 |
TLS[x] from Merton |
In enclose my application for certificate of arrival etc, together with the required photographs. |
|
«detailed view» |
| 11. |
1948/11/30 (#01) |
TLS[x] from Throckmorton, L. W. / to Officer in Charge |
Records of this office disclose that complete file relating to the above named person was forwarded |
|
[from L. W. Throckmorton to the Officer in Charge in Cincinnati, Ohio]
«detailed view» |
| 12. |
1948/11/30 (#02) |
HLS[x] from Merton to U.S. Naturalization Service |
Since I have changed my residence to Trappist, Kentucky, in the Louisville district, it will be |
|
[letter originally dated 1942/02/17 and copied with 1948/11/30 letter - to the United States Naturalization Service office in Erie, Pennsylvania]
«detailed view» |
| 13. |
1948/12/08 |
other[x] |
REQUEST FOR CERTIFICATE OF ARRIVAL AND PRELIMINARY FORM FOR DECLARATION |
|
«detailed view» |
| 14. |
1948/12/16 |
other[x] |
Application for a Certificate of Arrival and Preliminary Form for a Declaration of Intention |
|
«detailed view» |
| 15. |
1951/01/27 |
other[x] |
Application for a Certificate of Arrival and Preliminary Form for Petition for Naturalization |
|
«detailed view» |
| 16. |
1951/04/11 |
other[x] |
Attention: Identification Division [-] Please furnish a copy of any criminal record shown |
|
«detailed view» |
| 17. |
1951/05/03 |
other[x] |
I am not and have never been an anarchist; nor a believer in the unlawful damage, injury |
|
[oath from the U.S. Immigration Service, signed by Merton, that he has never been an anarchist or a Communist]
«detailed view» |
| 18. |
1951/05/17 |
other[x] |
ALIEN REGISTRATION FORM [-] 1. (a) My name is Thomas James Merton [-] (b) I entered the United |
|
[Merton's Alien Registration Form from ca. 1939 - copies and stamped from 1951]
«detailed view» |
| 19. |
1951/06/25 |
TL[x] from Boutton, H. J. / to Sue Connaughton |
In accordance with provisions of Title 8 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Sec. 377.3, |
|
[from H. J. Boutton, Officer in Charge in Cincinnati, Ohio, of the Immigration Service, to Sue Connaughton, Deputy Clerk of the U.S. District Court in Louisville, Kentucky]
«detailed view» |
| 20. |
1951/06/26 |
other[x] |
CERTIFICATE OF NATURALIZATION Petition No. 5033 [-] Personal description of holder |
|
«detailed view» |
| 21. |
1958/01/27 |
TLS from Cundiff, Bernice / to Merton |
Am sorry of the delay in answering your letter with reference to correction of your Certificate |
|
[from Bernice Cundiff of the United States District Court in Louisville, Kentucky]
«detailed view» |
| 22. |
1958/02/07 |
TLS from Cundiff, Bernice / to Merton |
You will please find your certificate of Naturalization number 6747854, enclosed. This certificate |
|
[from Bernice Cundiff of the United States District Court in Louisville, Kentucky]
«detailed view» |
| 23. |
1961/02/10 |
other[x] |
Le trente un janvier mil neuf cent quinze à neuf heures est né à PRADES Tom MERTON sexe masculin |
|
[birth record for Merton sent in 1961]
«detailed view» |
| 24. |
1968/08/01 |
TNS from Lawrence, Br. / to Van Rijn |
Could you please send us back the number of Thomas Merton's Passport, in case we need it |
|
«detailed view» |
| 25. |
1985/01/30 |
TL[x] from Grip, Robert / to Robert Amerine |
Under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. 552, I am requesting access to, and copies of any |
|
[from Robert G. Grip of WALA TV of Mobile, Alabama to the FOIA/PA Reviewing Officer for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, D.C.]
«detailed view» |
| 26. |
undated/no/no |
TLS[x] from Amerine, Robert / to Robert Grip |
As you requested, we have enclosed the records relevant to Mr. Merton's naturalization for you |
|
[from Robert P. Amerine, FOIA/PA Reviewing Officer for the Immigration and Naturalization Service in Washington, D.C. to Robert G. Grip of WALA TV of Mobile, Alabama]
«detailed view» |
|